Jackfish's Abe named CBL's top rookie

Daiki Abe, of the Welland Jackfish, has won the Brian Kerr Memorial Trophy as the Canadian Baseball League’s Rookie of the Year. Photo: CBL

October 15, 2026

Official Canadian Baseball League News Release

After finishing near the top of the Canadian Baseball League in several offensive statistical categories, Welland’s Daiki Abe won the Brian Kerr Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year for 2026.

The 27-year-old outfielder was second in the CBL with 77 hits, which contributed to a .397 batting average that ranked third among qualified batters.

Abe was a force atop the Jackfish lineup, reaching base at a .489 clip that ranked second in the league, and he led the CBL with 62 runs and 40 stolen bases. Abe tied Kitchener’s Rafael Gross atop the CBL with three triples, and he was tied for second in the league with 35 walks while only striking out 20 times.

Chatham’s Evan Morrison (Mitchell, Ont.) was the Rookie of the Year in 2025 and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in June.